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THE THIRTEENTH 
DOMINO 



A PLAY FOR BOYS 



BY 



HAROLD S. LATHAM 



Copyright, 1919, by Samuel French 



Amateurs may produce this play \y.ithout payment 
of royalty. All other rights reserved. 



PRICE 25 CENTS 



New Yoek 
SAMUEL FRENCH 

PlJELISHEB 

:S-30 West 3Sth Stseet 



LoNDo:^ 
SAMUEL FPxENCiH. Ltd. 
26 Southampton" Street 
STRAND. W. C. 2 



THE THIRTEENTH 
DOMINO 



A PLAY FOR BOYS 



BY 
HAROLD S. LATHAM. 



Copyright, 1919, by Samuel French 



Amateurs may produce this play without payment 
of ro3'a]ty. All other rights reserved. 



New York ^- London 

SAMUEL FRENCH ! SAMUEL FRENCH. Ltd. 

Publishes , 26 Southampton Steebt 

28-30 West 3Sth Street \ STRAND, W. C. 2 



A PLAY FOR BOYS 

Scene: Jack Macdonald's room at Norwood 
Academy, a preparatory schqol in eastern 
United States. 

Time : The present, 



OC"! 17 1919 



CHARACTERS 

Jack Macdonald. . . .The President of Kappa Psi 

Bertram Sinclair His particular friend 

Herbert Wells. . .A candidate for membership in 

Kappi Psi 
Johnny Dunbar Who is not a member of 

Kappi Psi 

Walter Hapgood The Unknown 

A Messenger 

KAPPI PSI MEMBERS 

LeRoy Hazelton 

Parker Dearborn 

Ernest Williams 

Donald Maxwell 

Howard Wright 

Paul, Henderson . 

Percy Brooks 

Lester Brown 

Philip Strong 

Malcolm Strong 

COSTUMES 
Regular " school-boy " clothes, well pressed and 
of " smart " appearance. Also 13 black Dominoes 
a? later described. 



M THITEENTH DOMIO 

Af the rise of the curtain Jack Macdon^ald is dis- 
cozfered seated at a table reading. The room is 
furnished in typical school-boy fashion, ban- 
ners and posters on the wall, an easy chair 
beside a table littered zvith books and papers 
near center, a couch, possibly, at the back and 
a door at left of center. The action makes no 
especial demands as to setting and everything 
in this line may be left to the discretion of the 
stage director. An atmosphere of luxury 
should be suggested: 

(There is a loud knock af the door.) 

Jack. (Looking up from his book) Come in. 
(Enter Bertham Sinclair) Oh, hello Bertl 
Come in, sit down, make yourself right at home. 
You have the honor to be first. 

Bert. It's intentional ! I wanted to see you 
about something before the others came. 

Jack. How mysterious you sound! What is it, 
murder or simply a raid upon the solitary candy, 
ice-cream and soda dispensary of this town? Out 
with it! 

(Bkrt sits dozvn on couch.) 

Bert. Jack, cut it, for mercy's sake. It's serious 
I think, and I'd like you to be serious or at feast 

S 



6 , THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

act that wav for a minute or two if you can't reailv 
be. 

Jack. I'm as serious as — as — oh, darn it, as 
Professor Johnson is when he says: "Now, Jack, 
why havtni't you studied that Latin?" (Bert 
throivs a pillow at him) And I'm all ears, too. 
Do proceed, I pray thee. 

Beri . V'ou're hopeless, posi-tive-ly! I suppose 
I might MS well go on even though you '^o act more 
like a circus clown than the honored president of 
Kappa i 'si. 

Jack, i'ni president because I'm a clown — see? 
You know it, I know it, and so I must live up to 
my rep. But now I'll be good. 

Best. It's about Kappa Psi. 

Jack. And what's the matter with our dear se- 
cret society — or rather, I should say, with the se- 
cret society, the fraternity — ^the one and only — at 
Norwood? There used to be several others but 
they don't count any more, leastwise not in my esti- 
mation. Long live Kappi Psi. 

Bert. Your prayer is timely, for it's with the 
life of Kappi Psi at Norw^ood that I'm mostly con- 
cerne:- at the moment. I don't like rumors that I 
hear in the wind. Kapoi Psi is beginning to lose 
its pull with the faculty. 

Jack. We've always stood in strong with the 
profs. What's the matter? 

Bekt. Well, for one thing we fell behind in our 
studies the last quarter. Just happened so, I sup- 
pose, but it's most unfortunate. Only to-day old 
Doc Barton asked me what had got into our bunch. 
We weren't keeping up with the class, he said, add- 
ing a few wholly unnecessary remarks to the effect 
that he never did believe in secret societies in 
schools anyhow, and that he thought it was about 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 7 

time Kappi Psi and all its kind were abolished. 

Jack. The Dean would never stand for that* 

Bert. The Dean would be the first to hop on 
us if he thought we were neglecting our school 
work. The rumor is certainly spreading that our 
days as a club are limited. 

Jack. What do you suppose is the reason we 
flunked so badly? 

Bert. Just accident. A fellow can't always get 
100 per cent. You and I know that it isn't becaiise 
we've given too much time to the fun of frater- 
nity life. Maybe we've been lazy. Whatever the 
cause. I for one have resolved to buck up and show 
'em. this term. 

Jack. And I too. 

Bert. The thing that gets me though, is the ex- 
i:>lanation that is put forth as to why we're behind. 
Do you know what they're saying? 

Jack. No, what? 

Bert. That we're skylarking too much! Why 
one fresh little Soph told me to-day that he imder- 
stood the Kappa Psi fellows had mid-night spreads 
in your room and general jamborees two or three 
times a week. You know how false that and all 
such insinuations are. But things like that are be- 
ing said just the same. The anti-fraternity crowd 
is looking at us, tickled almost to, death and nodding 
their heads as if to say, " I told j^ou so." It's mon- 
strous but these rumors coming at this time when 
our scholastic fortunes are at low ebb are sure to 
be listened to. 

Jack. If the faculty is going to pass us up after 
all our years of heading the list just because we 
have a temporary lapse and because somebody lies 
about us, it's a great idea ! 

Bert. I thought perhaps you could speak of 



8 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

this at the meeting to-night and get our crew to pull 
together especially strong for the next few weeks. 

Jack. Good idea. I will. 

Bert. What's down for th^ session ? 

Jack. An initiation, that's all. 

Bert. Who's coming in? 

Jack. Herbert Weils. Nice sort of chap. 

{Knock at door.) 
Jack. Come in, come in, come in. 

{Enter LeRoy Hazelton.) 

LeRoy. (Excitedly) Say, Jack, what do you 
think I just heard? 

Jack. What, out with it ! Is it scandal? 

LeRoy. It's a crime if it's so. Pete Johnson — 
you know him, the hot anti-frat man — he said he'd 
been told the Kappa Psi boys were wasting so much 
valuable time with their frolics that the faculty was 
going to take a hand and wipe out our society. He 
added that he understood our initiations were an 
awful mess. Oh, he got off a lot of rubbish about 
the frat. Made out that our misdeeds were com- 
mon school talk. All a lot of lies — but (jee it made 
me sore ! 

(Bert and Jack exchange significant glances.) 

Jack. Jt looks as though somebody was out for 
the scalp of Kappa Psi all right. Well, I suggest 
we keep our eyes open and our mouths shut, and if 
we do we'll soon get to the bottom of it. If they 
begin to talk about our initiations we'll have them 
for tuiless we have a traitor in our camp they 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 9 

can't knozj anything about what transpires there. 

LeRoy. Maybe they don't know, but they're 
mighty good at guessing for they hit off some oi 
our stunts pretty accurately. 

Jack. {Protesting) But our initiations are all 
right. 

LeRoy. Yes, of course. But they get part of 
some particular trick and distort it so that it seems 
like dirty work. IreaHze as well as you do that we 
don't go in for rough stuir. But you can take some 
of our stunts and change 'em a bit and they're al- 
together different. From the little things I heard 
to-day I think there's a leak somewhere. 

{Knock at door. ]ack puts finger to his lip to in- 
dicate that they are to say nothing.) 

Jack. Come in. 

{Enter Herbert Wells, Parker Dearborn, Phil- 
lip Strong, Malcolm Strong, Ernest Wil- 
liams, Donald Maxwell, Howard W^right, 
Paul Henderson,, Percy Brooks and Lester 
Brown. Good natured greetings are exchang- 
ed beliveen the boys.) 

Philip. {Approaching Jack) "Why so pale 
and wan, fair lover? If looking well won't win her. 
will looking ill prevail? 

Jack. (Laughing) See Bert, didn't I tell you 
they wanted me to be a clown. I will assume my 
" antick " disposition anon as Billy Shakespeare 
would ha^'e said. But before that happy moment 
and while I'm looking " ill " as friend Phil has 
said, I want to scold you. First of all, make your- 
selves comfv. (The bovs hunr/e around on fJic 



lo THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

ciurirs, couch, clc, in informal easy attitudes — Jack 
continiiiufj) Members of the great arid noble body 
known as Kappa Psi — ^that is you're all members ex- 
ce|)t Wells and he will shortly be, pardon the in- 
terruption — ^we are being taken to task by our 
friends the faculty for apparently preferring class 
marks which a]>]>roximate the zero rather than 
those which soar towards the century mark. We 
are having many unkind things said about us — that, 
for exam|)le, we spend the wee sma' hours having 
a good time ^vith games and " eats " when we vshould 
sf>end them in company with Euclid and Livy and 
Virgil. Now, as your honored head, I beseech you 
to mend your ways. I for one hereby promise to 
emulate — a — ah — the example of one Bertram Sin- 
clair and burn much midnight oil in endeavoring to 
restore Kap|>a Psi to its former prestige. 

(Cries of "Speech," ''Speech." ) 

Rkrt. It's really serious, bunch. Let's see if we 
can't pull say — well, there are twelve of us here — 
eight A's this next month. Then our enemies could 
sav what they would about us arid the faculty would 
simply have to answer, in effect, as Eincoln did 
when someone accused Grant of using fire-water 
occasionally. Tell me the kind of whisky he drinks 
and I'll feed it to all my generals, says Eincoln — - 
tliouyh he used more elegant English than that. 
Look at these A's, 1 can |)icture our beloved teach- 
ers as saying: T>et's have more of our young 
geniuses at Norwood nourished as are the members 
of Kaopa Psi. 

(Cries of ''Aye." "Aye.") 

Jack. T might add that I judge we're on a .sort 
of ])robation at present. Erom what I hear we're 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO ii 

being closely watched— so unless Kappa Psi and 
frats in general are to die a sudden death at Nor- 
wood it behooves us to rise to the occasion. 

Pi 11 LIP. Cut the lecture now. We'll all proiiii- 
ise to improve. 1 thought we were here for an 
initiation. Poor old Wellsy over there is trembling 
all over at the- thought of the goat. 

Malcolm. Yes. Let's get at it. 

Jack, just one thing more — and that's about 
this very initiation. Our secret ceremonies, so I'm 
told, are being discovered. {Pouscs and looks 
around circle of faces) It ma\' be that our enemies 
are simply fortunate in their guesses as to what 
goes on behind our closed doors but I must say it 
looks a bit as though some one had been talking too 
much. I can hardly believe that anyone is inten- 
tionall}' revealing the rites which have always been 
held sacred to membership but it's very easy to let 
fall a careless word now and then and give the 
ea^er outsider an impression. And a partial im- 
]>ression is usually a misrepresentation. Stories are 
in circulation that are absolutely false but that 
would seem to be derived from a certain amount 
of knov/ledge — however gained we do not know. 
We can only guard ourselves and watch out for 
s])ies. 

Malcol^[. I'd, like to catch a spy. 

{Cries of ''And so would I" etc., from the other 
boys.) 

PiTTLip. There'd be a hanging. Isn't that what 
they do to spies ? 

Malcolm. It's probably all rubbish! I don't 
rccilly believe anybody's on to what we're, doing. 
They're just having a beautiful time bluffing us 



12 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

and like a lot of simpletons we're falling for it. 

Jack. It doesn't seem as though it could be alt 
bluff. However, let's drop it now and get to this 
initiation. (Cries of "Righto/' " Thafs the idea," 
etc. — To V\ELLS) Candidate,- step forward. 
(VvELLh steps to center) Candidate, have you 
taken the oath not to reveal, even' thoiigh perse- 
cuted, what is about to befall you? 

Wells. 1 have. 

Jack. Is that correct, Roy? 

LeR()\'. It is correct. 

Jack. Has he also taken the oath to be true 
to this society should he pass the tests to which 
he is presently to be put ? 

LeRoy. He has. 

Jack. Very well. Proceed with the ancient 
ceremonies. Roy, you will kindly blindfold the 
catididate. (Wells is blindfolded. From this point 
on the lines of those conducting the initiation should 
be spoken very deliberately and in a sort of chant 
■or monotone) We will now advance to the scene 
of the initiatory ceremonies. Have a care, candi- 
date, how you vt/alk for one unwary step may plunge 
you to your death. 

(Paul PIet^^derson and Lester Brown begin to 
march Wells up and down the room.) 

Paul. Open the door there. (Parker opens 
the door) Be careful, candidate, not to touch the 
casing of the door as you pass through. Hitting 
the door frame incurs the first penalty. TPaul and 
Pester guide Wells as though he -were passing 
through a doorway) Ah, there you're safely 
throu.gh and we are now on our way to the place 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 13 

of the first ordeal. Shut the door, Brother, after 



u- 



(The door is slammed shut. The boys do not, of 
course, really leave the .room. Instead Wells 
is led by Paul and Lester back and forth, up 
and dozvn, as if he were being taken a great dis- 
tance by a zvinding path. While he is being 
led around in this fashion the room should be 
draped with black curtains which should ex- 
tend from the ceiling to the floor all around the 
side w'alls so that the balance of the scene is 
enacted against an absolutely black curtain 
background., Space only should be left for one 
exit. An effective zvay of doing this is to pre- 
pare strips of thin black cloth equal in length 
' to the height of the room and of convenient 
width. Tack one end of strip to a plain 
wooden roller and fasten the other end to the 
top of the side wall. Then roll the cloth up 
tightly on the roller and fasten it, thus rolled 
up, at the top. A series of these rolls placed 
round the room in continuous lin^ can easily 
and quickly be unfastened by the boys and thus 
provide the black curtained background. The 
weight of the zvooden roller will hold the cloth 
in place. A simpler though perhaps not quite 
as satisfactory a zvay of securing the black 
curtained background, is to attach hooks to the 
black strips of cloth and hook these into the 
moulding, or into " eyes " provided for them 
in the wall. When this plan is followed the 
strips of cloth can be kept off stape or out of 
sight until required. All the furniture used in 
the first part of the scene should be set off-stage 
and replaced by a plain rough wooden table 



14 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

■ivith a candle on it. There may also he added 
one or iivo plain chairs and a second candle, if 
necessary. The lighting should be kept dim to 
give the appearance of mystery. The draping 
of the stage and its re-arrangement for the 
initiation should take only a z'ery fezv minutes, 
all the boys 2vorking quickly and noiselessly at 
'it. iVhen they have finished thev should all, 
except for Paul, Lester and Wells, go off- 
stage and put on block robes with black hoods 
completely covering their faces, with small 
openings only for the eyes. When they are 
thus gowned return to the stage and enter with 
them Walter Hapgood, who has not fre-vi- 
ously been on. ' Walter must also be dressed 
in the black hood and robe. The boys stand 
in a semi-circle around the room, Lester, 
Wells and Paul near front center, \\'ells 
still blindfolded.) 

Lester. {IVhen all the initiators are in place) 
Candidate, you have now come to the scene of the 
first ordeal. You stand on the edge of a precipice. 
Many, many feet deep it is. Rumor hath told us 
that 3'ou are a brave man ; but scandal hath also 
told us that you are a coward. ^Ve shall soon see. 
I shall lead you to yon pinnacle. From that point 
you must jump, down, down, down, into the aby-s 
below. If you are brave the s]^irits which ever 
attend the worthy will l>ear you up in safety ; if 
you are weak you will be dashed to pieces against 
the rocks. (As he finishes speaking one of the ini- 
tiators from the sdcnf soni-circle at the back brings 
forward a box iwn feet high and two or three feet 
square. Another takes a strong board plank and 
places it against the box so that an inclined walk 



THE THIRTEENTH DOAIINO 15 

is made from the floor to the top of the hoz) Care- 
ful, now. candidate. Beware of your steps. {Leads 
\\'ells ul^ the plank to the bos, after zvhieh the 
plank is rciuoved. IjiSTER then takes Weli.s hand 
and brings iiini to the front of the box emd allows 
tiiiii to take one step over the edge, eatehing him to 
prevent him froin falling off ) There, you see. Had 
1 not l)een here you would have plunged over the 
side. Care, candidate, you must exercise eare. 

Paui.. Does the candidate smell the sulphurous 
fumes from below? (Wells shakes Jiis Jicad nega- 
tively) What, he smells them not? [Ai a signal 
from I'aul one of tlie initiators eomes forward and 
lights t7.'o or three sulphur matehes whieh are held 
in front of Wells, who starts backward ) Ah, I 
see nov,', that the funics from the yawning- chasm 
penetrate his nostrils. Well, }>re].)are to jump, and 
jump, candidave. knowing- that if you do so falter- 
ingly you will meet }"our doouL When I count 
four, on the dot, jumi>. Are you ready? (Wheels 
does not ausxi'C'') Are you ready? 

\^^ells. {Hesitatingly ) J — I — am. 

Paul. One — two- — three — four. 

(\\'ells jumps and lands on the floor only two feet 
below him. In fumping he should make as 
much noise as possible. At once Donald and 
Eknest rush forward from the semi-circle.) 

Donald. He faltered. He is a coward. 

Ernest. So say I, Brother, he faltered. 

Paul. Pie faltered not. He is no coward. 

Parker. (Stepping forzvard from circle) Here 
is a vv'orthy diiTerence of opinion. One says he 
faltered, one says not. We can only gauge his true 
character by still other tests. Proceed to the dark^ 



10 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

• ^1 dungon. (All but Paul, Lester and Wells 
.'iep back into semi-circle. Wells is again led 
around the room as if by a circuitous passage to 
another place. After a fczv trips back and forth 
Paul and Lester leave him standing in the center, 
slip off stage, removing box and plank, and don 
black gowns and hoods similar to the others and 
take places in the line of initiators. All should fold 
iheir arms and stand zvith head bent just a trifle for- 
ward) 

Howard. {Without moving) Candidate will 
remove his bandage. 

/Wells removes bandage and gazes around in be- 

zvilderment. Starts a little as he discovers the 

solemn array of motionless figures at the back). 

Donald. {Without moving from his position) 
Candidate, on yon table is a box. Take it, break the 
seal and open it with care. 

^ ( Wells moves slozvly toward the table, picks up the 
box gingerly, turns it over and over and finally 
releases the catch. A clown's head of an or- 
dinary Jack-in-the-Box pops out at him. He 
jumps back.) 

LeRoy. This time I know he jumped. He hath 
the heart of a chicken ! 

Howard. I fear you speak truly. 

{All together chant ''Ah — woe, zvoe, zvoe to him 
zvho plays the cozvard's part.") 

Parker. Once more, oh Candidate, are we per- 
mitted to try your metal. 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 17 

All Together. Once more — once more — and 
thee, nevermore, nevermore again. 

Percy. It is decreed that the candidate shall be 
tr-;td by fire. Bring on the boiHng cauldron. 

{Exit Lester and Donald who return with a kettle 
from which steam must be issuing in volume.) 

Percy. Candidate, there rest at the bottom of 
this kettle three precious jewels. Thou must, 
when blindfolded, plunge thy hand in and bring 
forth the gems. Behold .that the water is hot but 
there must be no faltering. Are you ready for the 
test ? 

Wells. I ani. 

(Wells is blindfolded.) 

Percy. Feel the rim of the kettle, candidate, 
learn its exact position and then plunge thy hand 
into its contents. 

(Wells is permitted to feel the hot kettle and 
then just before he plunges his hand into it a 
cold dish with cold zvater is substituted. Info 
this Wells resolutely plunges his whole arm 
and brings up two or three small objects which 
he places on the table.) 

Howard. Well done, Candidate. You have 
passed the final ordeal courageously. 

Wells. (Half laughing) But the — water— 
wasn't hot. It was cold. 

(At a f^otion from Howard the original kettle with 
the steaming water is substituted.) 



i8 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 



Eknest. No, you mistake, Candidate. It was 
but your bravery that did act as a protection from 
the heat. See, the contents still steam. {Remuves 
bandage and Wells sees the boiling zvater) 

Philip. And now for a little enterramment. V\ e 
have seen that the candidate hath the necessary- 
courage of heart. Is he also a good fellow ? Can 
he amuse his comrades as he has opportunity? 

Ernest. Yes. Let's see what he can do in that 
line. 

Pakker. Candidate will mount the chair and 
crow three times like a rooster. 

(^A'>.LLS nioiinfs cliair and gk'es a pi/or 'nnitaiioi 
of a rooster's crow.) 

Donald. Better than that, Candidate. You must 
do better than that. Try again. 

(Wells again mounts the chair and croivs once. 
Inst as he starts to make a secoini attempt he is 
i)i terra p ted.) 
P)ERT. (Loudly and excitedly) Stop! Quick, 
everyone unmask at once. There are thirteen 
black robes here. There should be only twelve. 
{At once there is con-fusion. Several rip off their 
hoods but before all have done so tJie candles light- 
ing the room are cvtinguishcd and in the confusion 
W' alter Hatc^oo]^ slips out. TJie candles .are 
lighted again at once but only tzvehe in the black 
goivns are present — Bert, rushing to the door and 
looking out) Boys, someone was here that didn't 
belong" ! There are only twelve members in this 
branch of the fraternity and there were only twelve 
liere when we started the initiation. And vet when 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 19 

1 called out there were thirteen lined up against 
the wail. I don't know how I happened to count 

them. The question is. ivho was in the thirteenth 
-clomino ? 

Jack. Quick, now, every man scatter, cover 
ever}- door in the dormitory, every hall and all the 
exits. Hold up any fellow with a package that 
mii^ht be a black domino. This is serious business 
but with twelve detectives hot on the job we ought 
to discover the culprit. And when we do discover 
him there'll be a new kind of initiation. 

{Exit all falkiiig excitedly. When the stage has 
become quiet enter W^alter PIapgood from be- 
hind one of tJie 'black curtai)!s where, at the 
first sign of troitble, he liad slipped. He re- 
moves his Jiood and gozvn zvhich he rolls up 
into a bundle, looks cautiously around, tiptoes 
across the room ajid just before he goes out 
speaks.) 

Walter. (In doorzoay, facing audience) Gee, 
■ hri t was a close shave ! 

SCENE II - 

Same as Scexe i, an hour later. The black cur- 
tains should be rolled up or removed and the 
stage set as for the beginning of Scene i. No 
one on th.e stage at rise of curtain. 
TJie entire cast, with the single exception of 
Wali^er Hapgood, enter at once, shouting in 
triumph and bringing zvith them Johnny Dun- 
bar, 71'JiO resists his capture vigor oxisly hut 
good naturedly. Johnny is a yung Irish boy 



20 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

jolly in appearance, frank, saucy and red- 
headed. 

Bertram. You would, would you! Spy on us! 
Well, my line lad ^ye'll put you through the third 
degree all right. 

Johnny. {Impudently) That'll be nice! But 
would you mind telling me to what or whom I am 
indebted for this great attention? I'm not used to 
it. Ten or a dozen slaves to do my bidding. Avast 
there! {Speaks loudly and the boys let go of him 
suddenly. He stands in the center, folds his arms 
and surveys them with superior amusement) 

Parker. Hold him ! Hold him ! He'll be mak- 
ing his get-away. 

{Two or three of the boys seise him.) 

Hov/ard. {With great elaborateness, bowing be- 
fore Johnny) Allow me to make our position 
perfectly clear, my dear sir. An hour ago we were 
holding an initiation in this very room. Suddenly 
we discovered the presence of an outsider, clad in 
this robe which veiy closely matches our own. We 
called upon everyone to unmask — but the interloper 
the spy, if I may be pardoned so harsh a word, 
made good his escape without disclosing his iden- 
tity. He was clever but not clever enough ! He left 
this incriminating garment {spreading the robe out 
before Johnny) on his bed where it was by good 
luck discovered. 

Johnny. You found that — ^that thing on my 
bed? 

Howard. Exactly, my fair friend, {Tosses 
domino to couch or chair at rear) and now we know 
the source of the rumors which have been abroad 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINQ 21 

at Norwood the past few weeks. Pardon me, but 
how many of our initiations have you attended, old 
rnan? (Johnny does not ansiver but laughs long 
and heartily) Ernest, you and Parker take this 
laughing hyena into th^ next room and guard him 
while the rest of us consider what shall be done to 
him. 

(Esit Ernest and Parker zvith Johnny. The 
other boys sit down and look rather disconso- 
lately at one another.) 

' Bert. It's all up. There isn't a thing we can do 

so far as I see but let him go and call him a cad. 

It certainly was a rotten trick though. 

(There is a knock at the door. For a half minute 
there is silence in the room as the boys, fearful 
of some fresh calamity, hesitate at what to do.) 

Jack. (After this pause) Come in, please. 

(Enter a messenger from the Dean's office.) 

Messenger. Is Mr. Jack Macdonald here? 
(Looks around the room) 

Jack. Yes, I am Macdonald. 

?v1essenger. Thank you, sir. I have a note 
here for you from the Dean. (Hands note to Mac- 
donald and goes out) 

]ack. (Fingering the note gingerly) What do 
lou suppose is up now? (;Opens envelope and reads 
contents to himself. Then looks up at his com- 
rades) There's something brewing all right. Lis- 
ten. (Reads) '' My dear Macdonald: I have been 
hearing A'arious rumors about Kappa Psi the last 
few weeks, which have caused me considerable anx- 



22 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

iety, especially when I look at the standing of the 
Kappa Psi boys for the last quarter. I shall be glad 
if you will come to my office for a few minutes that 
we may talk the situation over in the light of in- 
formation which has just come into my possession. 
Charles A. Greenfield, l^ean." 

Philip. *' In the light of information which has 
just come into my possession." Huh ! That vile 
little cad in the next room — that's where he made 
tracks immediately after he left here, is it? No 
wonder we had to wait outside his room thirty-five 
minutes for him to show up. And how he must be 
pulling the v/ool over the doc's eyes! Our initia- 
tions are as mild as sweet cider, aren't they, "\\'eHsy 
old boy ! 

(Wells iiods his assoif.) 

LeRo\'. But what I can't see is why Johnny 
should want to give us a bad rep. He hasn't any 
grudge against us, has he? We never turned him 
down for membership in Kappa Psi, did we? 

( Several answer "No.") 

MALCOL.^L I' Fust just be natural cussedness, I 
guess. And yet I can't seem to reconcile that with 
Johnny Dunbar. He seems a good sort. 

Jack. The fact remains that for some reason 
we are in bad with the powers that be. Well, here 
goes to take my medicine. " Uneasy lies the liead 
of him who wears the crown." Badly quoted, but 
them's my sentiments. I'll report to you after I've 
done reporting to the Dean. (Exit Jack) 

Paul. You don't suppose the Dean intends to 
squelch us, do you? 



THE THIRTEENTH DOAHNO z^ 

ij:sTER. Oh, he couldn't! Think of the tradi- 
tions behind Kappa Psi. We've always been the 
Dean's Delight. 

LeRo^'. How did it hai)i)en, anyway, that we 
all fell so far behind the last quarter? 
. Hert. Our evil geniuses possessed us, I guess. 

pEKC^^ Why not liven things up a bit by having 
our friend Johnny in here while we're waiting for 
Jack's return? 

(Chorus of " Fine," " Yes let's," etc.) 

Percy. Hey, you Parker, bring in the victim. 
( Enter Parker and Ernest zvitli Johnny, the lat- 
ter still smiling ) Say, Dunbar, do }OU read other 
l>eople's letters? 

Johnny. (Soberly ) No 

Percy. Do you spread gossip? (This time 
Johnny does not anszver at ail but looks resent- 
fully at Percy) Would you steal the penny from 
the blind man's cup? (JoiiNNY starts for Percy 
but is held back by Parker) Ho! The young 
cockalorum would fight ! No insult intended, my 
tine l)!rd — only I thought sneaking into an initiation 
where you didn't belong was in the class with those 
things I mentioned. Well, you laughed at us for a 
tin.ie- — but now we're going to laugh at you ! 

Donald. Yes, let's see how well you can crow — 

MALCOLT^r. Aw — Pd rather hear him quack like 
a f/oose. 

Pester. No — I have it — he must bray like a 
donkey. 

(This is greeted zcith great glee.) 

Paut.. Come on now, that's right — bray — bray 
like a donkey. 



24 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

Johnny. I'll be hanged if I'll do anything you 
tell me to. 

Donald. You'll be hanged if you don't. . 

Johnny. Touch me if you dare! (Whips a re- 
volver out of his pocket and points it at the boys) 
Now then — you bray like a donkey. You — and you 
— and you — (As each boy is picked out he brays) 
And now dow^n on your knees, all of you and crawl 
around the^room and quack. You want geese — I'll 
give 'em to a^ou. Down — down — down — (All get 
dozvn and crawl around the room at the revolvers 
point and quack. When this has been accomplished 
to Johnny's satisfaction^ He laughs) 

Johnny. Now, then, where are your donkeys 
and geese — tell me that! (Tosses the revolver to 
the floor) Nothing but a water pistol — and no 
water in it, either. Ha ha ! ha ha ! 

LeRoy. You turned the tables on us that time 
all right — but you won't do it again. Here, Les- 
ter, grab him ; we'll fix him. Strap him to that 
chair. 

(After some resistance Johnny is strapped to the 
chair.) 

Ernest. Now you'll stay there until Jack gets 
back and we know just what you've been saying 
about us. 

Johnny. Nice comfortable chair ! And I al- 
ways did approve of sitting this way. It develops 
the chest. 

Ernest. (7'o Johnny) I admire your nerve, 
old man. 

Johnny. Thank you. I'm glad you're not blind 
to one of the least of my good points. 

Pakker. Nerve ! That's all he's got. 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 25 

Johnny. (With a quick movement frees his 
iiands, stands up and swings chair over his head) 
My father was a fisherman on the coasts of Irelsttid, 
my mother a net mender. There isn't a trick with 
rope I can't do — a knot I can't untangle — ^you'll 
have to tie them tigher'n that, my lads. Now then, 
(Simnging the chair over his head threateningly) 
Vm going out through that door and if anybody 
wants to feel the strength of my muscles let him 
hold me back. Sounds like modern — and Irish- 
Shakespeare, doesn't it? (Starts for the door 
faughing; the boys all hang back. Just as he reaches 
the doorway enter Jack Macdonald and Walter 
Hapgood) 

Johnny. (To Hapgood and Jack) Out of my 
way, out of my way, 

(Jack steps by Johnny into the room but Walter 
Hapgood still blocks the passage and Johnny 
stands zvith upraised chair regarding him and 
smiling as usual.) 

Jack. Fellows, don't let him go. 

Ernest. Let him! Gosh! Can anybody stop 
such a wild Indian as he? He's held us up at the — 

Jack. Yes, I don't doubt it, but we've made a 
mistake and we owe him an apology. 

JvOHNNY. An apo]og>% is it? Very well, I'm lis- 
tenins". (Drops chair and sits down in it himself; 
folds his hands and looks up expectantly) 

Jack. Come on up into the — the family circle 
so to speak. (Advances toward center of stage) 

Johnny. No, thanks. I'll stay here till I see 
what it's all about. It might get too hot for me up 
there. (Keeps his scat near back center) 



26 THE THIRTEENTH DOMING 

Jack. Well, bunch, we've been on the wrorig: 
trail. 

> Paul. You mean it wasn't Johnny ? 

Jack. No; of course it wasn't Johnny. 

(Johnny rises and bozvs.) 

Jack. Our whole trouble has come from poor 
marks and a talkative clerk in the Dean's office. Not 
long ago Doc Barton, the common enemy of the trat 
at Norw^ood, had a conference with the Dean at 
which time Kappa Psi came in for its customary 
roasting. When the Dean stood up for us, Doc 
Barton brought our poor marks into the game and 
scored one ! To all of this the Dean's sneaky little 
stenographer who was in the room lends attentive 
ears and at the first opportunity he tells his dearest 
friend — Pete Johnson of anti frat fame — that 
Kappa Psi is doomed ; that old Doc Barton has 
convinced the Dean we ought to be disbanded. That 
of course started things going and it wasn^t long 
before the campus was agog with our misdeeds- 
magnified a hundredfold— even ovir initiations were 
brought into the gossip ! The stenon^rapher has 
" fessed up " to the Dean that he started the tale. 

Donald. How did you learn all this? 

Jack. I gathered it from the few meagre facts 
which the Dean gave me. 

Bert. And we aren't going to be abolished? 

Jack. No. 
.Parker. But who was the thirteenth domino? 

Jack. (Motions to Walter Hapgood who has 
stood all the time in the doorway. Hapgood comes 
forward) Let me introduce Walter prapgood. fel- 
lows 



, THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 27 

{Chorus of " WALTEk Hapgood.") 

Bert. Not the Walter Hapgood, the President 
of the General Council of all the chapters of Kappa 
Psi? 

Walter. The same ! 

Jack. (Points to Hapgood) He was the thir- 
teenth domino ! 

(At this, Johnny stands up on the chair at the 
back and executes a silent war dance.) 

Walter. An explanation is in order, Brother 
Members. The Dean is your best friend, is your 
fraternity's best friend. He believes in you and in 
clubs and societies in general when they're run right. 
I know Dean Greenwood well! Ever since the days 
when I was here at Norwood, four or five years 
ago, he and I have been chummy and have told ;each 
other our troubles. And so not very long ago when 
some of these rumors about you reached his ears he 
wrote me. You know I founded this branch of 
Kappa Psi, and might be expected to be interested 
in it. He asked me to come and see what I thought 
of the fraternity situation at Norwood. He was anx- 
ious to find out whether there was anything be- 
hind the stories he was hearing. You know sooner 
or later everything comes to the Dean, even campus 
gossip. He probably wouldn't have paid any atten- 
tion to it in this instance except for the fact that 
you were all falling off in your studies. Well, I 
came and I saw — ^that's all. 

Jack. He's given us a clean bill of health, too. 
As far as Doc Greenwood is concerned, he has put 
to rest, once and for all, those awful tales of Oiir 
wild v/ays and our terrible hazings. 



28 THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO 

Walter. I've attended two of your initiations. 
It was easy enough for me to slip into the room in 
the black domino and remain there undiscovered, 
knowing the order of the ceremonies as well as I do 
from my long association with Kappa Psi. I've 
found nothing to censure, either there or in the 
general conduct of your society. 

Bert. And if we'd only maintained our usual 
class standing we'd have been spared this little 
comedy of " Much Ado About Nothing." 

Philip. Yes. All on account of a few failures 
— war and pestilence fell upon us. 

Lester. Never again I Never again ! We'll 
grind. 

Johnny. (From rear) Ho, ho! Look who's 
going to grind ! 

^Bert. What! You still here? (To Walter) 
Tell me, how did that domino get into Johnny's 



room 



Walter. The dormitories were all full, and for 
a week IVe been stopping with my good friend 
Johnny Dunbar. What's more natural than that I 
should leave my robe in my own — for the time be- 
ing — room ? 

Philip. (To Johnny) I'll bet you knew it was 
his robe? 

Johnny. Well, I can't say as I knew. I might 
just sort of suspicioned something. (Slips quickly 
into the thirteenth domino and puts the hood on 
jauntily on the hack of his head) 

Jack. The thirteenth domino! (Pointing to 
Johnny) It was an omen of good luck and not 
of bad as we feared ! Three cheers for it ! 

LeRoy. And for Johnny Dunbar who's wear- 
ing: it. 

Johnny. (Holding up his hand peremptorily 



THE THIRTEENTH DOMINO ^ 

for silence) Is my hat on straight? 

LeRoy. Come on, now, all together. Rah — 
Rah 

(Boys cheer — but once again Johnny interrupts 

them — Between the second and the third cheer 

he advances to the front of the stage slowly 

•imth hands» outstretched, chanting weirdly) 

Johnny. Blood to drink and Bones to crack — 

Blood to drink and Bones to crack. 

(Only for just the time required for Johnny to 
say these lines is there a lull in the cheering. 
It is at once resumed again — a disorganised 
burst of enthusiasm, with the words " The 
thirteenth domino " occasionally distinguish- 
able.) 

Cnriain. 



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